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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Continues To Prepare For Mississippi St.
11/22/1999 | Football
Nov. 22, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. -- With the shortened week, head coach David Cutcliffe and the Ole Miss Rebel football team continues preparation for Thursday's "Egg Bowl" game against Mississippi State in Starkville. Kickoff on Thanksgiving Day at Scott Field is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CST and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
The status of Ole Miss starting quarterback Romaro Miller, who injured his ankle last week against Georgia, is considered day-to-day.
"We are holding him (Miller) out of practice," said Cutcliffe at Monday's press conference. "We are doing everything we can to get him ready. We'll know more later in the week."
The Rebels will be facing the top rated defense in the nation in Mississippi State. The Bulldog defense has surrendered an average of only 216.7 total yards per game, 60.5 on the ground. Opponents have found the endzone only 12 times all season against Mississippi State.
"They (the Mississippi State defense) play smart and with a lot of energy," said Cutcliffe. "They are the No. 1 defense in the nation and it will be a great challenge for us."
In comparison, the Rebel offense has been averaging 377.2 yards per game, fourth in the Southeastern Conference. The duo of junior Deuce McAllister and sophomore Joe Gunn is the fourth-rated running back tandem in the nation, combining for over 161.6 rushing yards per game. In addition, McAllister is averaging 164.6 all-purpose yards per game.
"We'll take what their defense gives and try to make some plays," said Cutcliffe. We've got to do what we do best. We will try to be a balanced team. It will be a great challenge to run or throw on their defense."
On the flip side, the Rebel defense will face a Mississippi State offense that has struggled finding the endzone all season. The Bulldogs have scored only 23 touchdowns, the third lowest in the SEC, and have only one touchdown in their previous two games.
The Ole Miss defense has also been good at keeping their opponents out of the endzone. Allowing only 19 touchdowns all season, the Rebels are third in touchdowns allowed in the conference and 29th in total defense in the nation.
"Our defense has been outstanding all year, especially against the run," said Cutcliffe. "They have suffered a lot of injuries and overcome a lot of adversity. We have had some outstanding games and they have gotten better each week."
This will be the 96th all-time meeting between the Rebels and the Bulldogs. This series dates back to 1901 and is tied for 16th longest in NCAA Division I-A history. The two teams have battled for the Golden Egg every year since 1927, with the exception of 1943. Ole Miss leads the series 56-35-6, 16-10-3 in Starkville. In the previous five meetings, the road team has been victorious.
This will also be the 12th meeting on Thanksgiving Day, with the Rebels leading 7-3-1. Last season was the first turkey day contest since 1971, with the Bulldogs winning 26-6 in Oxford.
